My 3 Boys

Here are some cute photos of the boys being together. Lincoln likes to give Levi eskimo kisses & pat his face. Darling.

more pictures!

I apologize for not posting about American Idol, but I think I have a good reason to slack off...don't you?
Here's the little cutie pie...I just want to dunk him in my coffee.

Sherry & Mike with their 8th grandchild!


"Corgi", Lincoln's first crush, & Dana visiting Levi at the hospital last night.


Of course I have more pictures for tomorrow.
sweet dreams of milk tonight,

Meet Levi McLain

Levi came into this world on Monday, January 28 at 1:11pm after a short & relatively easy delivery. He is 7 pounds, 7 ounces & 19 inches long. He's a cutie & looks just like his dad. Here are some photos of the day. Enjoy!!

Hanging out in our hospital room, watching TV & waiting for Levi:

His cute little feet & hands...



Ben ringing the chime that rings throughout all of Williamson Medical Center, alerting everyone that a baby has just been born:

Proud Big Brother!



Mimi & Levi:

Mimi & Papa & Levi:

More pictures to follow soon...

levi will come tomorrow

hi friends,
I just wanted to let you know that Levi will be here by tomorrow at some point. I am being induced early tomorrow morning. I'll be updating the blog with pictures whenever possible.
xoxo

Charleston...Snore...

We stopped in Charleston last night, & man, was it a bore. Not so much talent in the friendliest city in the USA. Let's start it up:

--I'm going to address this issue first & foremost, & I will probably laugh about it in the days to come. We start off with Oliver Highman. Seriously?!? That's your God-given name? Ben looked at me & said, "You can't write this stuff up."
First things first, Oliver. You need to march yourself straight down to the county courthouse & fill out a Change of Name Document as fast as your short little legs can take you. He was dressed as if he was going to court anyways, so it really wouldn't have been that big of an inconvenience to just swing by the courthouse on his way to the hospital to have his first baby. At least he has his priorities straight...he wasn't like Alien Phil from last season who just altogether missed his baby's birth because of his audition. Oliver Highman (laugh) comes back after the birth, auditions, sounds ridiculous, & then shows off his new daughter to the judges. Poor Ollie didn't get a golden ticket.

--Richard-Afro-Dude: He advertises that he sounds like Clay Aiken. Here's the first rule: Don't ever tell people that again. Dawg says it's a little bit over the top. Yeah, little bit. And poor Paula--I just want you to say "NO" to someone. She just can't seem to say that word to anyone...it's always "I'm going to have to pass..." or "I'm sorry sweetheart".

--DeAnna-Nutjob: This girl's from the same town as Kelly Pickler. She walks into the audition room with one strap of her shirt off. Can she not lift it back up please? I don't know if she thinks it's sexy that way, but I want to assure her that it's not. Then she runs through her buffet waitressing job, like any one of those judges care about her tips. Why do people think it's OK to fall down to their knees when they're singing? When she left the room, she had a sicko "Single White Female" look on her face that kinda made me want to call the police.

--Idol-Message-Board-Couple: These people make out several times during this entire montage, which makes me want to turn off the TV straight away. They come in together to audition, & they do a duet by Andy Griggs. He forgets his lyrics over & over again...then she has to remind him of the words. Then she starts singing herself...what may be a completely different song. It was altogether a trainwreck, & the judges agreed with me. Why wouldn't they.

--Bro-&-Sis: The Ow!! Factor duo. Michelle & Jeffrey were hilarious & quite good. Jeffrey definitely kicked it better than his sister. I'm surprised that Randy didn't say "That was a little pitchy" because sheesh, it was at several points. I liked how Simon kept those two together...."I can't split you two up!" Loved it. Hallelujiah, Jesus.

--Dance-Team-Abstinence-Girl: Oh, where do I begin. This little angel Mandy-Moore lookalike goes to school & talks to students about abstaining from sex, drugs, & booze. Maybe Simon does need that course. I can't believe she gave that little speech to the judges. Ironically, she also reminds me of Mandy Moore's character in the movie "Saved!". Now that's a movie to see. I agree with Simon that she's way over the top annoying, but yet he puts her through with a golden ticket. Oh, this season should get really good.

--London: So so pretty, although I hated that Billie Holiday song she did. That's about all I have for this one.

Sidenote: DOES ANYONE NOTICE WHAT PAULA IS WEARING ON THE 2ND AUDITION DAY? I don't know what the heck that's all about, but she needs to change faster than a speeding bullet.

--Aretha-Jamaica-Girl: All I see is boobies. I can't even concentrate on anything else because I've never seen such. And Simon says "...the huge belt..." Oh sweetheart, we all know what you really meant. When she gets completely rejected by every judge & still doesn't believe that she hasn't made it, Simon even pulls out the last words of Jesus: "It is finished."

--Joshua-Jennifer-Hudson-Singer: "I don't have a good voice?!? This show is fake & rigged!" Hello, Loose Canon. Joshua didn't even stick around long enough to hear the No's. Then he claims that the judges said South Carolina has no talent. Darlin, you need to take it on home. He looks straight at the camera & says, "Anywhere out there looking for talent, it's Josh Bosen! My talent is too big for this competition to hold." Um, I don't think anyone's looking for your kind of "talent". What people will be looking for is a psych ward to have you admitted.

Something completely amazing could have happened after that, but my DVR quit recording at that point so that's all I have.
Happy weekends everybody!

Week 2-San Diego

Here we go, Week 2 guys! We're in San Diego. Who knew that San Diego had so many crazies? It seems like barely anyone got through tonight; everyone basically sucked, except for a few.

Tetiana-Can't-Pronounce-Her-Last-Name: Amazing voice & so pretty! Simon, Simon, 2 minutes into the show & you're already being nasty ...maybe that's why I love you. So he says, "I don't think you'll ever be great." And that little spitfire says, "Let me prove you wrong, Simon!" Is it bad that I think it's totally cool that she is so over-confident?

Single-Dad-Man: He never did specify how his wife died, but it sounds like it involved some illegal drugs & mysterious activity. So there his son was, sitting with his single dad, looking all cute & sad. Is it me, or is FOX trying to tug at every American heartstring by focusing on all the tragic stories of these auditions? Come on, last week we had a girl whose daughter has Retts syndrome, a girl who had been in a horrible accident that ruined her face, & not to mention the Egyptian guy who couldn't discern a foot from a nipple. The list goes on & on. Can I just get a story that doesn't involve tears? The Boyz II Men song he did was yummy. He gets through with all 3 judges approval.

Australian-with-the-Sexy-Accent: You can sing, dance, do whatever you want...just keep talking with that accent. Does anyone else think Australian accents are the hottest thing ever? He gets a ticket. Why does Randy keep saying "One hundered million percent yes"? Does he know that just doesn't make any sort of mathematical sense?

Valerie-Wannabe-Mariah: Oh no you di-n't. This girl claims that when she's walking down the street singing, people stop her & ask, "Did you have Mariah playing?" And she responds with, "No, that was me!" Yeah, that happens to me all the time too. When she started singing, it sounded like someone was inside her throat trying to escape, desperately. And she thought she really did great after Simon's "Oh. my. god." comment. Then she realizes that she will be on the 'rejects' video reel that we are all now watching. Yep, honey, we're watching it & you belong on this reel in every single form. Gosh, I love TV.

The-Two-Nurses-Who-Think-They-Can-Sing: I don't know what sort of nurses these people are, but let's just say it frightens me to my very core knowing that they take any part in the medical community anywhere in the universe. They stepped off the crazy train just long enough to perform absolutely torturous auditions, then cuss at all the judges to the camera when they get rejected. The guy says that everywhere he goes & starts singing, he turns heads. I'm going to let you in on a little secret: The singing is not what turns the heads; it's the sheer noise it creates. This is the perfect scenario of a friend telling another friend, "Of course you can sing! You'll make it all the way to Hollywood! Now listen to me..." It's just a cycle of lies, people. A cyle. Of. Lies. One feeds on the other, & before you know it, they think they're Idol material & off they go to pursue their dreams. Why do both of these people keep on singing, even when they're told to stop? She starts crying profusely, saying that she knows she can sing & one day she'll be back. Let the dream die.

The Sisters-Who-Want-To-Be-Simon's-Lovers: The girl attempted an Aretha song (which I think is always a big fat no-no) but it sounded really good. And I like how her sister sits on Simon's lap, acting like a 4th panel judge. Simon, you're a man after my own heart. After Big Sis gets through, Simon claims, "I love this country!" Of course, put an American girl on your lap & any Brit would love the USA.

Alberto-Gross-Long-Fingernails: This one says he gets so caught up in his imagination that he "maybe sometimes lives there." Um, yeah, maybe. I won't give any more time to this guy.

16-Year-Old-Vocal-Paralysis-Child: This teenager is so smiley I can't stand it. He looks like a mini Ryan Cabrera. He sings John Mayer, & does pretty well. I think the only reason he gets through is because he's so young. He gets through, even though he forgets his lyrics. And Randy, dawg--I am choosing to overlook your background vocals.

Carly Smithson: I'm not giving her any sort of nickname because I already remember her real name. She's that good. Can I say already that she should win the entire competition? It doesn't matter, because I just did. She was kickin ass & taking names. I mean, a WHITNEY song no less, & she made it all her own. Loved her & what I loved even more was that her husband was so adorable when she came out with her ticket. He teared up for her. Although I couldn't tell if those were tears, or if it was just another tattoo on his face. tug. heartstring. FOX, you've done it again.

The next stop is Charleston, South Carolina. The South is representin', y'all.
I'm Out.

Going to the Big D (and I do mean Dallas)

The Lone Star State is in the spotlight tonight. The show starts off with a girl who gives birth at Texas Stadium during auditions. And she ends up naming her little girl "Idol". There are no words. Some people have no radar for the socially acceptable. Let's get to it:

--Jessica Brown, AKA Crystal-Meth-Girl: Aside from the fact that she's a spitting image of Debbie Gibson, her story kinda made me a little weepy. OK call me pathetic. I prefer to call myself a hormonal trainwreck. I'm nearly 39 weeks pregnant...cut me some slack here. But when she came out of the audition room with her golden ticket & her sweet parents were there holding her daughter, it was pretty cool. Her smiling & excited dad made me tear up, I think.
--Paul, the baseball-ground-crew-maintenance-guy: In the words of my wise husband Ben: "I have one word for Paul: Pal--Sy." Give it a minute; it'll sink in soon.
--Beth: She is a singing waitress at a fondue restaurant. Please, God in Heaven, let me always remember NEVER to go to a fondue restaurant anywhere in Texas.
--Alaina Whitaker, AKA Carrie Underwood: She kicked it, & I loved the fact that she did a song written by Hilary Lindsey. God love her. She passes on through.
--Bruce-crazy-necklace-guy: I don't know where to start. He's clearly the biggest fan of the wildly popular but ever ridiculous book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" & has a freakishly creepy relationship with his dad. His dad wears the heart around his neck & the son wears the key? The dad eventually gives the heart to his son's new wife?...I'm lost, & I kinda prefer it that way.
--Pia "Zpia": The back-up singer makes it through...gee, I hope she has a career to fall back on if this doesn't pan out.
--Brandon: This guy keeps his fingernails in a ziplok bag in his back pocket. That is so sick I might vomit. What's even sicker is the fact that he advertises this on national television. If he keeps fingernails for 7 years, what else is he keeping? Totally creepy. He gets through, much to Simon's dismay. And Ryan, oh Ryan, says "he nailed his audition & it's in the bag..." You & your obscenely white teeth keep me in stitches.
--Kayla-Car-Wreck: My throat hurts after listening to her. Her audition was so throaty it sounded like sandpaper...Simon says YES??!! Did my TV set just break? Nope, that was what he said. Welcome to Hollywood, Crazy Cat Kayla. Nobody is more shocked than Randy.
--Kady Maloy: Darn it if she doesn't sound exactly like Brit-Brit. Thank God she wears underwear. When she finally sounded like herself, it was really good! And what a darlin! Simon created quite the stir when he called her out to be the best he's heard so far.
--Douglas Davidson: He sweats profusely & does "Livin on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi. I'm not living on a prayer; instead, I'm living on a curse after listening to that racket. I'm going to echo exactly what Simon said: What the bloody hell was that? He mentioned something about his fear of permanently damaging his voice. My prayer in this moment is that he does just that. PERMANENTLY. FOREVER. FOR ETERNITY.
--Angela Riley, AKA I-Just-got-married-to-a-Model: Is Angela auditioning or is her husband Chad auditioning? Ya know where she belongs? A cruise called The Love Boat. No golden ticket for you.
--Kyle the Politician: He needs to couple up with the crazy loon from last night who also gave a political/victorious speech. He attempts a Queen song...who attempts Queen??!! Come on Kyle, get your head out of god-knows-where. Simon is really throwing me for a loop tonight y'all. I can't believe he said yes. And Paula!? Have another, dear. This is getting borderline ridiculous...they're letting really bad people through tonight.
--Asleep-While-Awake-Girl: She sings The Power of Love by Celine Dion. Is she even awake at all? I mean, I'm almost dead watching her. I can feel my pulse slowing down to just a crawl. Get some personality girlfriend. There needs to be a big fat HUGE sign in front of every city where they hold auditions that nobody should be allowed to sing Christina, Mariah, Celine, or Kelly. Surprisingly! she doesn't get through.
--Farmer Drew Mississippi: Did a George Straight ditty. I'm gonna go out on a limb & say that he will make it through the first few rounds, they'll totally change his look, & he'll be the next Clay Aiken. Without the gayness.
--Eyeliner-Kyle: Someone needs to contact the Indiana Board of Education pronto. He does not need to be teaching children. Much less singing to them.

I will not give any time whatsoever to the poor soul in white. That's all he is. A poor soul.

Dismal Dallas anyone? I was kinda disappointed, & it takes a lot for me to say this considering this is where I'm from. But I was not impressed at all with its talent. Here's hoping that next week proves to be better.

I am your brother,

Philly

THIS IS AMMMM-ERICAN IDOL!!!
Well, here we are again peeps, & I'm convinced this year will be better than last. It better be. Let's get straight to the important stuff. Paula stood up straight, Simon actually looked excited (shocker!) & Randy has a goatee. What??!! So random, dawg. And the sideburns...seriously.

--OK first. Joey Catalano: Is that a long-lost relative of the hot Jordan Catalano on My So-Called Life, circa 1992 on MTV? He did a little Maroon 5 number...I couldn't decide if I liked it or not. I'm still undecided. He gets through, though. Good for him & his skinny self.
--The Egyptian guy!! My favorite part of that montage was the black girl all dressed in white (including the church hat) saying, "Just cuz you not married doesn't mean you can't have kids? Welcome to a new city baby cuz that's all that's goin on over here..." Classic. and super classy. And excuse me please, but did he say he wanted to love a girl "from the hair to the nipple"? I rewound that part three times, & sure enough, that's what he said. Lost in translation maybe? His singing was nothing I will write about.
--Taylor Hicks' back-up singer: Not a fan. Is being a back-up singer this season going to turn into a curse? Perhaps.
--James Lewis, the Philadephia tour guide: "Let my people go." Let ME go, Jim.
--Junot Joyner: I loved his voice. Apparently so did the judges b/c he gets through.
--Jonathan Baines: 17 years old, I'm guessing he will be this year's male Jordin Sparks. Girls will clamor.
--Temptress Brown: A linebacker at 16 years old? She looks like she's about 35. Oh dear lord, I think Levi lost some of his hearing while she was singing the Jennifer Hudson song. She starts crying & asks for another song. Cheer up, Charlie...go tempt another talent.
--Oody: This gem says he uses music in the workplace as a motivational tool. If I worked at his place of employment, I would not be motivated. I would be ill. He says that people say he sounds like Frank Sinatra. Dude, welcome to Earth. People also say I look like Heidi Klum. And when I say people, I mean absolutely no one. When he said, "I should've fine-tuned some things", Ben said, "You can't polish a turd."
--Alexis Cohen: You say you march to the beat of a different drummer. I think what you mean to say is that you march to the beat of the 10 different voices in your head. And I'm so serious when I say that. When she was talking junk about Simon, I love how Ryan stands behind her like nothing is happening. Simon, I hope you take note that she is going back to actressing! As God as her witness, she will be victorious!!
--Angela: Her story was so sad about her handicapped daughter & I'm happy that she made it through.
--Milo Turk: No sex allowed. "I write songs that nobody else has heard before. They need to be heard on the radio." Simon looks like he has been hit in the head with a frying pan. I wish I had been hit in the head with a frying pan.
-- Chrisite Lee Cook: What a cutie! I loved her from the moment I heard her say she trains for cage fighting. And I really liked her voice. She passes.
--Beth Stalker: Her voice is from a different generation...I loved it. She gets through, even with Simon's big fat no.
--Chris Watson: The dred locks guy did an Uncle Kracker song which I absolutely abhor. But he actually sounded pretty good. And he was so humble, which made me like him even better. Until he said he was only there for the chicks. Ugh.
--Christina Telesano "Princess Leia": She is nothing but a bunch of crazy bottled up ready to freakin explode all over the place. I was so mortified throughout her audition that I almost couldn't watch it. Almost. Did she dress up as the Princess just because? I don't get it.
--Brooke White: The most outrageous thing about her is that she's never seen a rated R movie. And right! that her husband follows that rule too. Whatev. You know he leaves work early to catch a flick or two. But she sounded really good; I love that song she did. Did Simon just tell her to "give him a week" to lure her over to the dark side? Ha. Oh Simon...I'm so happy to see you again.

Tomorrow night is the Lone Star State. Y'all know that's my state...be hearing from me soon.

'Til I Only Dwell in Thee...

This is a beautiful hymn I jumped across on YouTube recently. With each listen, I am struck by the writer's simple cry to the ever-living God, "if my heart has one ambition...that I only dwell in Thee..." So simple, yet so poignant all the same. My heart abounds with joy knowing that if I ask the Lord this same question, "Would you leave to look for me?", it will be met with a resounding Yes. Leaving 99 indeed.
One goal for our souls to seek, one ambition for our hearts, one solitary vision for us...to dwell in Christ and Christ alone. Oh, that I may know the richness of these prayers & see them fulfilled! I pray this for you all as well.

(lyrics below)
If to distant lands I scatter
If I sail to farthest seas
Would you find and firm and gather 'til I only dwell in Thee?
If I flee from greenest pastures
Would you leave to look for me?
Forfeit glory to come after
'Til I only dwell in Thee
If my heart has one ambition
If my soul one goal to seek
This my solitary vision 'til I only dwell in Thee
That I only dwell in Thee
'Til I only dwell in Thee

"Watch Mama! Lincoln's Cookin'!"

This morning, I decided to make a Beef Stew crockpot recipe that my friend Jana gave to me. As I was setting up & getting all the food out, Linc came up to me & said, "Whatcha doin?" I said, "Mama's cooking." Straight away upstairs he went...and came back down 30 seconds later with his stool he usually uses in his bathroom. He put the stool right in front of the stove & said, "Lincoln's cookin' too!" Rather than have him stand in front of the burning hot stovetop while I browned the beef, we moved him over to do some of the lighter side of the cooking. We gave him a butter knife & some potatoes. He chopped the potatoes & put each one into the crockpot. He thought it was the bee's knees & loved being the big helper. He really loves to show you what he's doing these days...he wants you to watch him, ooh & aah over what he's doing, etc. So he said about a million times, "Watch me! Let me show you, Mama...Watch Lincoln cook..." Yes, he speaks in third person always. Then he added the seasoning, the water, the tomatoes & then he got to stirring. He really thinks he's doing some serious good whenever he stirs anything. Ben got some of these shots while we were making our stew. I think they're so cute.

Update on the Waddler

37 weeks pregnant. Feeling as big as a barn. Peeing every 20 minutes. Insomnia. Ready to get the show on the road.
I went to the doctor on Friday afternoon & everything looks good. However, I am not progressing much at all, which leads her to believe that delivery is probably not right around the corner, like I had hoped. I'm praying every day for the Lord to break my water. I've been having contractions daily, which makes me very excited that Levi could be coming soon. But as soon as I get my hopes up & think maybe this is it, the contractions disappear. Thank goodness that my doctor will induce once I hit 39 weeks.
I have a couple prayer requests for those of you who would like to be praying for our family right now:
1) Please pray that God will prepare Lincoln's little heart for the big change about to happen in his world; and
2) Please pray that I will have as smooth a delivery as possible without any complications or problems.
We covet your prayers & are so appreciative of your willingness to take part in our lives.
We'll keep you posted on all developments.
Oh yeah, I'm throwing a shower for a good friend of mine this Saturday. You can also be praying that during present-opening time, I'm not contracting or standing in the kitchen with a big mop.

Until next time...